The Russian destroyer was actually a Russian Patrol Frigate based in
Cuba. It was Patrol Vessel 356 until just before her sinking when she was named
the Dive Captain Keith Tibbetts Length 330’ Width 42’ Commissioned
in 1984 Decommissioned
in 1992 Sunk in 1996 Last
passenger on ship – Jean Michelle Cousteau Armament –
Two 5” deck gun. Reef Divers,
Cayman Brac visit the Destroyer almost daily, and occasionally will dive her at
night.The Cayman Aggressor live-aboard usually dives her weekly.When conditions are right, she can be dove from shore. Reef Divers
at Brac Reef Beach Resort Cayman Brac 1-800-594-0843 info@866thebrac.com

The
Kittiwake shipwreck is in a private park and attraction that ismanaged by the
Cayman Islands Tourism Association. All divers to the Kittiwake shipwreck are
required to pay an entry fee (which added to your dive shop charges). -
Scuba Divers = $10 Cdn/US

Divetech
@candw.ky571 NW
Point Road, West BayGrand
Cayman, CAYMAN ISLANDS345)
946-5658 345)
946-5659 fax There
are over a dozen other operators who will take divers and snorkelers to the
Kittiwake. For a…

Three
Artificial Reefs. Three
Days of Diving. Three
Cayman IslandsSeptember Issue. Diver Magazine. www.divermag.com

By Stephen
Weir The buzz is
back. Cayman Islands, best known for their reef walls, gin clear water and a
high standard of dive services, is attracting wreck divers these days because
of their growing inventory of artificial reefs. Have just
threedive days and want to see
the underside of all three Cayman Islands?There are underwater world-class military shipwrecks(well, two and a worthy commercial
wreck) that have been sunk close to shore to allow for diving almost any day
(or night) of the year on Grand Cayman, Cayman Brac and Little Cayman. A year and a
half ago the Cayman Dive Operators Association sank the USS Kittiwake on the
North End of Grand Cayman Island’s 7-Mile Beach.Ever since, a Canadian run dive shop has been modifying the
remains of the retired US Navy submarine tender, to make it both diver and
snorkel friendly.It is now the
hottest wreck dive in the Caribb…

How To Get ThereNon Stop Service:
Air Canada services the Caymansfrom Toronto three times weekly in season, reduced service the rest of
the year.West Jet services the
island three times weekly in season. Other airlines:American Airlines (Miami) Cayman
Airways (Chicago / Dallas / Havana, Cuba / La Ceiba, Honduras /
Kingston, Jamaica / Miami / Montego Bay, Jamaica / New York / Panama |
Tampa / Washington, DC / Cayman Brac) United Airlines (Houston
/ Newark) Delta Airlines (Atlanta) US Airways (Charlotte /
Philadelphia) Late breaking news
Just as Diver Magazine was going to press, Jet Blue Airlines
announced that beginning in November it would be offering, three times weekly,
service between Cayman Islands and New York and Boston.Jet Blue is a favourite discount
carrier for divers living in Ontario using the Buffalo NY and Detroit Mi
airports.

Read the Diver Magazine feature by Stephen Weir, September 2012 cover story at:http://www.b…

Diving Cayman Brac's Historic Russian DestroyerOff the
north shore of Cayman Brac, in 1996, while film cameras whirled, Diver Magazine
columnist Jean Michel Cousteau rode a decommissioned Cuban/Russian warship 30
metres down to sandy bottom close to shore. One of the world’s first artificial
reefs for divers, the well publicized sinking made a worldwide statement about
turning weapons of mass-destruction into eco-friendly tourist attractions! The wreck is
the only diveable Russian built warship in the Western Hemisphere.Prior to sinking, the 285 ft long
ship (known as number 356) was named the Captain Keith Tibbetts after a local
dive operator and businessman.The
name hasn’t stuck too well, more often than not she is called the Russian
destroyer even though she is a much smaller Koni II class anti-submarine
frigate. 16 years after her sinking underwater journalist Stephen Weir, wearing a mini-underwater video camera strapped to his mask, revisited the crumbling wreck for a feature a…

My wife and I are going to Little Cayman on October 5th to photograph spawning coral (full moon phenomena every fall in the Caribbean). Thought it was time to post videos on YouTube from my last trip. Picture above is a frame grab from a short video I shot while snorkelling on the wreck of the Kittiwake. She is an artifical reef off Seven Mile Beach, Grand Cayman Island. Diver Magazine will soon be publishing a feature on three shipwrecks on three Cayman islands.

ORNGE YOU GLAD YOU FOUND ME HERE IN CANADA THROUGH LINKEDIN? By Stephen Weir It was the promise of American money dropping into my lap
that got my attention. All I had to do, the LinkedIn messages
suggested, was to help a US based lobby group protect the reputation
of an Italian helicopter manufacturer that could soon be in the cross-hairs of
the Ontario Provincial Progressive Conservative Party and the Toronto
Star. Piece of cake! The Italian company has sold
helicopters to the province’s Ornge Air Ambulance operation at a possibly
inflated price and people want to know why.At stake? AgustaWestland’s ability to sell Italian
made military helicopters in Canada and the United States. It is a great assignment for
someone like me. A little background: Three months ago Dan Hill, Washington
Lobbyist for AgustaWestland helicopter (European military /
civilian manufacturer) made contact. I gave him a price, a suggested
plan of action. He then disappeared ... all in a coupla weeks. Recently …

Like many other self-employed communicators in Toronto I have an exciting/active career. On one hand I am an active publicist working on many high profile projects including the McMichael Canadian Art Collection, Toronto Caribbean Carnival and RBC Taylor Prize, Cundill Prize on the other, as a journalist I have one book published (The Sinking of the Mayflower) under my name and have ghost written two other books. I am the travel editor of Diver Magazine and I write travel stories, cultural stories and housing stories for a number of daily newspapers in Canada.I am a Huffington Post. For forty years I have been researching, watching and writing about the History of Diving in the Movies. In the pages of Diver Magazine and a variety of other publications, my articles have been titled Blood And Bubble movies. I have documented over 3,000 movies dating back to the 19th century that show actors/actresses diving or snorkeling on film. My website, with three Blogs and a photography section represent just four small aspects of my work. Always Busy. Never Bored. stephen@stephenweir.com.